Malabar Chicken Biryani

Earlier, I shared some of the biryani from my hometown, Kannur like  mutton biryani, veg biryani and fish biryani...I made this biryani when I have cousin for lunch 3 weeks ago...I had the combination with prawns roast ,which I shared earlier....I don't have much to say :)...Do try this easy and tasty biryani and impress your family..Lets go straight to the recipe :)

Recipe courtesy: Umma

   Ingredients

     To marinate:

• Chicken, cut into medium pieces  - 1200 gm

• Turmeric pdr - a pinch

• Vinegar/lime juice - 2 to 3 tsp

• Pepper pdr - 1 tsp

• Salt - a pinch

      For Masala:

• Onions,thinly sliced - 5 large or 6 medium sized

• Garlic - 1 & half whole

• Ginger - size of middle finger

• Green chillies - 10 large or 15 bird eye chillies ( depends upon your spice level)

• Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup for decorating

• Chopped mint leaves - 1/4 cup + 1/3 cup for decorating

• Tomatoes,sliced - 3 large or medium sized

• Garam masala pdr - 1 tsp + few for sprinkling

• Salt - to taste  

• Lime juice - 1 tsp

      For Ghee rice :

• Basmathi rice / Jeerakashala (kaima rice ) - 6 cups

• Ghee - 1 tbsp

• Oil - 2 tbsp

• Cardamon -  3 no.s

• Cloves -  5 no.

• Cinnamon - one large, broken

• Bay leaf - 1 ( optional)

• Water - 9 3/4 cups ( 1 cup of rice = 1 3/4 cups of water)

      For Garnishing:

• Onion,thinly sliced - 1 large or 2 medium sized

• Cashew nuts - 10 no.s

• Raisins - 7 no.s

• Saffron - a pinch mixed with 2 tbsp milk and set aside for 15 mins ( optional )

• Rose water - few for sprinkling ( optional)

   Method:

• Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins.  If using jeerakashala rice,ignore this step.Wash the rice thoroughly with 2 to 3 couplets of water,drain rice in the colander and keep aside.

• Wash the chicken and drain in colander. Marinate chicken with ingredients mentioned in " To marinate ' and keep aside for 15 to 30 mins..

• Make a paste of ginger +garlic+ green chillies and set aside.

    For making masala

• Heat oil in a medium sized deep pan, add sliced onions with salt and saute till translucent.

• Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste and saute for few seconds.

• Add sliced tomatoes and saute till mushy.

• Add chopped coriander + mint leaves and saute for few seconds.

• Add garam masala pdr and saute till raw smell goes away.

• Add marinated chicken and mix well thoroughly.Do not add water in between ,as chicken, onions and tomatoes itself releases water while cooking..

• Add salt and lemon juice and mix well..

• Close the lid and cook for 25 to 27 minutes at medium low flame till chicken cooks..Can stir in between slowly...Don't make it too dry as there should be moisture left for dum..Gravy should not be too watery...It should be of semi-thick consistancy..Off the flame and set aside.. 

       Making of ghee rice.

• In a large wide non-stick casserole/biryani pot , heat ghee + oil for few seconds.

• Add thinly sliced onions and saute till light brown. Adding few pinches of sugar will caramalise onion faster. Drain and keep aside.

• Add cashewnuts and raisins and saute till cashewnut turns light brown and raisins puffed up. Drain and keep aside.

• In a same vessel,add all the whole spices mentioned and saute for few seconds.

• Add water and let it boil till the bubbles comes.

• Add salt and sprinkle few lime juice to prevent sticking of rice.

• Add drained basmati rice into it,mix gently and close the lid.

• Keep at high flame for few minutes till the water evaporates.( Be careful not to get burnt)

• Immediately reduce the flame to low and turn the rice from bottom to top on all sides and gently level the rice.

• Close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 mins..

• Rice should be 80 percent cooked, remaining it will cook on dum..Off the flame and keep aside with lid closed.

     Layering the rice and dum

• Divide the chicken masala and rice into three equal parts..

• Transfer the rice into another big plate..In same biryani pot, spread one part of chicken masala in circular motion.

• Take another part of rice and pour on top of masala,covering everywhere. Level it with a back of large spoon,sprinkle few garam masala powder and few chopped mint-coriander leaves on top of the rice..

• Then pour another part of chicken masala and repeat the step.

• Top part should be covered with rice..Sprinkle remaining garam- masala pdr and herbs like how you layered on rice earlier..level it with large spoon

• Sprinkle caramalised onions, cashews and raisins sparingly on top of it.

• Sprinkle saffron-milk  and rose water sparingly on top of rice ( optional)..

• Cover it with aluminium foil on top of the vessel as shown in the picture below (optional)..Close it with lid on top of that..It is mainly done to tight the lid,so that steam will not escape while on dum..It will retain flavour and aroma of biryani..As a substitute, you can stick wheat dough on  top sides of a vessel in circular motion and cover it with a lid on top of it..

• Place tawa or steel platter  ( It is done to avoid burning at bottom during dum) and place biryani pot on top of it.

• Keep at very low flame and cook for 30 to 40 mins...

• At the time of serving,remove the foil and serve it on a large plate...  

• Serve warm with the combination of your choice like pickles, raita etc.

   Notes:

• Do not pressure cook the chicken as it may not infuse flavour of masala..Chicken will not take too much time to cook..It cook minimum 20 to 25 minutes depending upon the quantity of chicken used.. 

• Cutting,chopping and pasting of ingredients can be done previous night to save time for making biryani..

• If you have guest, make biryani masala previous day and refrigerate..Next morning, make ghee rice and layer it for dum..

• It is better to reduce water for biryani ghee rice than normal ghee rice, as it will prevent rice from getting mushy while on dum..